OSCAR ORTEGA HAS BEEN CALLED UP TO A FULL TIME POSITION WITH THE US NATIONAL TEAM RESIDENCY PROGRAM IN BRADENTON, FLORIDA

“Albion SC believes in maximizing potential in our players and pushing them to the highest level we can take them,” says Technical Director Noah Gins. “If as a coach you can take a player and see the potential that exists within that player and truly maximize their potential then the player and program will see maximum results. “

Oscar is a good example of a player trained and developed to reach his potential. At the age of 9 when Oscar came to tryout for Albion SC he was a very good player, he was not the best player at the time, but clearly one of the kids we recognized with some of the highest qualities and extreme potential. And for us potential is just that, potential… It is what a player and a program can do with that potential that really means anything. When Oscar came into the club he came in with several talented players, some even at the time better than him and a few years later those players moved onto other clubs. Oscar remained loyal and committed to the team and program. As we continued to develop Oscar we put a plan together to push him to the ODP and see if the National Team would be within reach. Oscar in the first year of ODP made the team and quickly moved through the program making the Regional Team and National Pool in the first year. For the last few years the training for the team and Oscar has been very focused with high standards and discipline all while playing a very competitive schedule. The environment fostered the needs for Oscar to grow and push himself to be ready for the opportunities that would come again with the US National Team.

As a program from coaching staff down to the players that pushed Oscar to the level he is at today we are all very proud of Oscar and the program for taking this potential and fostering that into the clubs first and not last call up to the US National Team Residency Program.

Oscar was only 1 of 15 boys in his age group (1994) in the US to be invited to move to Florida to be full time with the US National Team. He will attend the Bradenton Academy for School and will train with the US National Team every day. The US National Team Staff will oversee and manage Oscar each day and all will be provided for Oscar. The players brought into Residency will be groomed for the next 2 years for the next Youth World Cup and beyond. For now Oscar will have a new challenge and with the preparation and knowledge gained at Albion SC he should go to Florida and be ready to succeed.

Oscar will depart for Florida on August 22, 2009 and will play his last games with Albion SC on August 15 and August 16 in the FWRL being played at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. We hope to see everyone come out and support the BU15 team as they defend their FWRL Title and see Oscar perform before he leaves for the US National Team.